Charging and discharging of automatic ovens, proofing-chambers, and the like.



L. C. REESE.

CHARGING AND DISCHARGING 0F AUTOMATIC OVENS, PHOOFTNG CHAMBERS, AND THE LIKE.

Arnlcmon men Amir. 191s.

1,226,252. Patented My1`5,1917.

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IN V EN TOR.

W I TNESSES.'

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L. C. REESE. CHAHGING AND DISCHARGlNG 0F AUTOMATIC ovins, PRooFlNG CHAMBERS, ANO THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED AUGJI, ISIS. 1,226,252.

a sains-SHEET 2.

IN V EN TOR.

Patented May15,1917.

L` C. HEESE.

CHARGING AND DISCHARGING4 0F AUTOMATIC OVENS, PROOFING CHAMBERS, AND THE LIKE. APPLlc/mou FILED Aue. |-7. 1916'.

1,226,252. Patented May15, 1917.

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prinsenN sr-Arns PATENT OFFICE'.

LoUIs CHARLES amsn, or SAGINAW, MICHIGAN, AssIGNon To WERNER a IJFLEIDERER co., or SAGINAW, MICHIGAN.

CHARGING- AND DISCHARGING F AUTOMATIC OVIENS, PROOFING-CHAMBERS, AND THE LIKE. l

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May l15, 1917.

Original applicationv filed February 28, 1916, Serial No. 81,008. Divided and this application led August 17, 1916. Serial No. 115,517.

b all whom t may concern.

Be it known that LLOUIS CHARLES Runen, residing at Saginaw, in the county of Saginaw and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Charging and Discharging of Automatic Ovens, Prooiing-Chambers, and the like, of which i the following is a. specification.

This invention relates to automatic baking ovens, proofing chambers and like apparatus through which the articles to be subjected to the process worked therein, are passed in a certain, predetermined time 4 and in a circuitous--partly horizontal, partly more or less vertical-route by endless chains, and consists in novel means of charging and discharging these apparatus.

The object ofy this invention is to perform these operations automatically and without stopping the apparatus, in a most simple, effective and economic manner.

To this end, I place the articles to be treated or the containers holding them on trays which may also be formed by joining rows of these containers by suitable means as iron bands, and suspend these trays from the chains carrying them through the apparatus by devices consisting of two partsautomatically engaging with and disengaging from each other, one part of these suspending devices being connected to the tray and working together with the other part attached to the chains. The suspending devices used in the example described in this specification are composed of hooks attached to the trays and. of rings arranged for the hooks to catch in and suspended from cross rods connecting the chains. These cross rods are rotatably mounted in the links of the chains or in blocks or the like attached thereto.

The loaded trays are conveyed into the apparatus by automatic means, usually an ordinary endless-band-conveyer, to a point so determined and arranged that the rings suspended from the cross rods connecting .the chains, while passing upward in close these trays, which thusl will be picked up from the conveyor, lifted upward and then carried through the apparatus.

The trays are discharged from the latter' by depositing them on their downward passage on automatic means for carrying them away, usually an endless-bandconveyer, passing underneath at a point so determined and. arranged that the hooks attached to the trays are bmind to disconnect themselves from the rings suspended from the cross rods connecting the chains, while-traveling downward, whereupon. the chains with their appurtenances and the disconnected trays are quickly removed in different directions, the conveyer taking away the trays being so constructed and traveling with such velocity that they cannot interfere with the chains, their appendixes or any other obstacles. 'At the charging and discharging,

points of the apparatus preferably sprocket wheels are installed for the chains to run over in order to giveto the' latter, to the suspending devices and to the trays just picked up or tovbe disconnected, ample stability and the proper direction.

The feeding devices used hitherto for this kind of apparatus madeA it necessary that the chains were stopped while the trays were charged and discharged, and the unavoidable consequences were jerks and shocks liable greatly to damage the more or less soft goods in appearance, shape and size. This was especially the case in automatic baking ovens of this class.

The accompanying drawings, which serve for more fully explaining the novel features and devices, and the working of the invention, 'show the arrangementv in its application to a v proofing and baking apparatus used for pan bread.

Figure l is a side elevation of a tray having single hooks to catch in the rings suspended from the cross rods connecting the chains carrying the trays.

Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal section of Fig.. 3 represents an ,arrangement for transferring trays provided with doublehooks from a proofing chamber to an oven, and Fig. 4 an arrangement for discharging such trays from the oven.

The tray A consists of two rows of pans, a, containing the dough pieces to be proofed or baked. The pans are connected by iron bands, al arranged at their longer sides and a2 at their shorter sides. The cross piece a3 (Fig. 2) serves to stiifen the structure. The tray A is provided at its narrow sides with the stays B and B1 bearing the hooks C.

In Fig. l and Fig. 2 these stays have two branches b and b1 connected by the square top part b2. The single hook C consists of the downward-bent arm c, the stem c, and the square cross piece c2 fixed to the top part b2 of the stays. The hook C and its arm c are so constructed and arranged that they can easily slide into and out of the aperture d of the double ring DI suspended from the cross rod E. The ring D consists of the annular parts d, and Z2 vertical to each other. The aperture (Z of the annular part el, is parallel to the cross rod E and of such dimensions as to give the hook C ample play to engage therein or to disengage therefrom. The cross rod E carries the ring D by means of the annular part d2, the opening d3 of which has a larger diameter v than E, in order to cause as little friction as possible when E is turned. In order to prevent a possible side slip of the rings I) and D1 the cross rod E is provided at the points where the rings are suspended, with small vertical grooves e.

The cross rod E (Fig. 2) is rotatably mounted in the chains F and F1 which it connects, and rests between the latter and the rings D and Dl-leaving ample play for the largest tray possible to be usedon the loose wheels G and G1 which revolve freely around E and run in the grooves h for G and h, for G1 of the rails H and H1. The latter are supported by the brackets I and I1 fixed to the walls or structure of the apparatus.

The rails H and H1 carry in this way the cross rods E and with same the chains F and F1 and the trays A, while these chains travel more or less horizontally. When the direction of the chains is altered more or less to the vertical, or from the latter to thehorizontal again, the cross rods,.wheels and trays are carried by the chains F and F1 running over and supported by the teeth of sprocket wheels in the well known manner of apparatus of this kind.

For the successful working of the kind of apparatus forming the object of 'this invention, it is essential that the chains carrying the trays are always exactly parallel and travel with exactly the same velocity, and that the trays do not sway-to and fro,

but remain always horizontal at every point of their travel through the apparatus. These important points are successfully attained by means of the arrangements just described of guiding the trays rotatably suspended from rotatable rods connecting the chains through the machine.

lVhen a single apparatus is to be charged and discharged, a single hook will serve both operations; but, when a tray is to be transferred from one apparatus to another one adjoining it, as shown in Fig. 3, a double hook is the most suitable device.

In Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 the double hooks C (see Fig. 3) consist of the stem c, the ring c1 and the downward bent arms c2 and c?, pointing opposite to each other, and each so adapted and arranged as to easily slide into and out of the aperture d of the double ring I) suspended from the cross rod E.

The stays B and B1 are formed by two separate branch parts Z) and b1 ending in circular plates be. The pin 3 passing through the center of these plates, holds the 'parts and b1 together, leaving sufficient room between them for the ring c, of the hook C to turn and thus to regulate the position of the same in regard to the tray A so that the latter is kept horizontal, may either arm c2 or c3 be used to suspend the tray from the rings D. In order to prevent the tray from moving more freely than is necessary to obtain the result .described and to avoid any possibility of its being upset, the oscillations of the stem c of the hook C are limited by the stops b4 and b5 attached to the circular plates b2.

In Fig. 3, C represents diagrammatically the sprocket wheel around which the chains F travel inside an oven' before its charging opening, and P the sprocket wheel for the chains F before the discharging opening in proofing chamber situated alongside the oven. The sprocket wheel O revolves around the axle 0, and the sprocket wheel P around the axle p, both moving in the same direction as shown by the arrows. I is a horizontal endless-band-conveyer driven by the rollers K and K1 rotated around the axles 7c and k1 in the direction of the arrows by suitable driving means, the carrying surface of the conveyer traveling from the proong chamber toward the oven. The roller K is arranged within the proofing chamber Well underneath the sprocket Wheel P, and the roller K1 within the oven underneath the sprocket wheel O. Adjacent to the roller K1. reaching still farther into the oven, preferably a rest is arranged for 'the trays arriving there; it consists of the parallel, loose rollers L, L turning easily around their axles Z, Z supported by the bracket M. The carrying plane of the rollers L, L is slightly inclined from the conveyer I in a downward direction so that Ythe trays arriving there from the latter easily slip down against the crossbar N, and thus attain the correct position for the arms c3 of the hooks C to slip into the rings of the cross rods traveling upward toward` the same.

In the proofing chamber the chains F carryingthe trays containing the fully proofed dough pieces ready for the oven, travel at first vertically downward, and then around the sprocket wheel P, where the trays are deposited on the conveyer I underneath, whereupon the chains take thel cross rods with the empty rings suspended therefrom to the charging' place of the proofing chamber to be reloaded with fresh trays. In order that the rings suspended from the cross rods easily disengage from the hooks C when the trays reach the conveyer I, the trays are suspended from these rings by the arms c2 of the hooks C pointing into the interior of the sprocket wheel I).

When in its downward passage in the Infocling chamber the tray A, reaches the position I of the cross rod El belonging thereto, the preceding tray A2 with its cross rod E2 has just attained the position II and is being dropped on the conveyer I,

while the preceding cross rod E. With its empty rings has reached the position III of the proofing chamber.

The tray A3 which, while in the proofing chamber, had been attached' to the rings of the cross rod E3, has at the same time reached the position I within the oven, and resting on the roller lplatform L against the support N, is just being picked up by the rings of the oven cross rod E2 engaging the arms c.. of the hooks of the tray. The tray A,A which entered the oven previously to the tray A3, has been lifted by thek rings of the.preceding cross rod E3 traveling upward onto the position II in the oven, while the empty rings on the cross rod E1 are moving toward the platform L, ready to pick lup and lift the tray A2 as soon as it has arrived from the proofing chamber at the position I in the oven.

This cycle of operations is repeated continuously. For the exact workingof the arrangement it is-of courseessential that the conveyer I travels with the correct speed for the trays coming from the yproofing chamber to be picked up by the cross rods 1n the oven, a result which easily can bel attained by well known means.

The trays can only be attached to the rings of the cross rods which have to carry them, when the opening of the hooks to engage with the rings is turned toward the same, and thel latter move in an upwardl direction toward the said hooks. After having been lifted from 'the conveyer or roller platform, the trays are at` once earned 11pward to bek out of the path of the` follow ing rings, cross rod and trays. They conveyer bringing the trays to they charging point and the cross rods with the empty rings ready toengage the hooks of the trays travel therefore always in opposite direction to each other.

As the rings, cross rods and hooks turn during their travel through the apparatus ini order to keep the trays always upright and horizontal, the openings of the hooks will always point in the same direction as that in which they were Iplaced into the rings of the cross rods.

In order to discharge the trays, the chains and the rings of the cross rods from which the trays are suspended, must travel downward, not only until the trays have been deposited on the conveyer underneath, but until they rings and the cross rods from which they areA suspended, arev quite out of reach of the hooks of the trays.

If, as in Fig. 3 showing the discharge of the trays from the proofing cabinet, the

arms of the hooks which connect the descending trays to the rings of the cross rods, point toward the interiorof the discharging sprocket wheel P, the disengaged rings and their cross rods travel at once in opposite direction to that of the conveyer taking the disengaged trays away, and the exact velocity of his conveyer is immaterial as long as it runs quickly enough to obtain `the desired result. But, when, as in Fig. 4,

the arms of the hooks which connect the descending trays to the rings of the cross rods point outward the discharging sprocket wheel O1, the disengaged rin and their cross rods and the conveyer ta 'ng the'disconnected trays away, move in the beginning in the same direction, and in this case the arrangement and movements of the conveyer must be such as to prevent the trays with their accessories and the rings on their cross rods from interfering with each other.

In Fig. 4 O1 represents diagrammatically `the discharging sprocket wheel of the oven,

revolving around its axle 01. The chains F travel in the direction of the arrows, downward at the right hand side of the sprocket wheel where the trays containing the bakedl bread ready to leave the oven arrive, then around the lower part of the sprocket wheel O1 and upward at the left hand side carrying the empty rings and cross rods again to the charging point of the oven. .The conveyer carrying away the disconnected trays from underneath the sprocket wheel O1, consists of two parts:- an endless-band-conveyer R moving with about double the velocity of that of the chains in the oven and worked in the ordinary way by rollers S rotated around their axles s by suitable driving means, and a gravity conveyer formed byy the rollers T the axles t of which are supported in the bracket-like staging U and rotated by suitable driving means inthe direction of the arrows with such a speed thata tray placed on the rollers T moves in the direction of the conveyer R with a velocity one and a quarter as great as that yof the trays inside the oven.

The carrying surfaces of the two conveyers R and T are arranged in such a manner that the trays leaving the roller conveyer T easily slip over onto the band conveyer. The trays are suspended from their rings by means of the arms c3 of the double hooks C as they were charged into the oven, see Fig. 3.

When the upmost, arrivingr tray A1 suspended from the rings belonging to the cross rod E, is at the position I, the preceding tray A2 suspended from the rings belonging tothe cross rod E2 is in the position II, just settling down on the roller conveyer T. At the same time the tray A3 which -preceded A2, has been disconnected from the rings of the cross rod E3, is in position III on the band convcyer R, being quickly carried away, and the empty rings and their cross rod E3 are in position III on the sprocket wheel, while the preceding empty rings of the cross rod E4 are at the position IV, traveling upward to the charging point of the oven.

The carrying surfaces of the conveyers R and T are arranged at such a distance underneath the discharging sprocket wheel 0 and both conveyers must always be rotated at such a speed that the empty rings and their cross rods passing on the chains F around the lower part of the sprocket wheel O1 cannot interfere with the trays or their hooks on the conveyers.

` lVhen in the osition II on the sprocket wheel the tray had settled on the roller conveyer T and, traveling along the same, arrived at the position IIIXa, the cross bar E, was in the position III* on the sprocket wheel, and its rings therefore were completely free from the hooks C in any possible position or" their arms, as shown in dotted lines. The tray A'3 then entered at once the conveyer R which quickly moved it to the position III"i thereon, thus leaving far behind at Ithe position III the disconnected rings with their cross bar E3.

When the rings on the cross bar E3 were at the position III on the sprocket wheel, the previously disconnected rings on the cross bar E., were at the position IVX, thus beyond any possibility of colliding with the tray A3 or its hooks. v

I do not limit myself to the exact construction and arrangement of the devices shown in Fig. 4 or in any other of the accompanying drawings, as the same may be varied without leaving the principles of trays and adapted to automatically engage with and disengage from rings suspended from cross rods rotatably mounted in and connecting the chains carrying the trays on the said rods through the apparatus, and conveyers arranged therein at points, where the hooks of the trays, while on the said conveyers, are bound t0 engage with the said rings when traveling upward, and to disengage from the said rings when passing downward.

2. In devices for charging and discharging apparatus of the kind described, the combination with the trays holding the articles to, be treated, of hooks attached to each narrow end of the trays and adapted to automatically engage with and disengage from rings rotatably suspended from cross rods connecting the chains carrying theV trays on the rods through the apparatus, and conveyers arranged therein at points, where the hooks of the trays, when on the said conveyers, are bound to engage with the said rings when traveling upward, and to disengage from the said rings when passing by on the chains in a downward direction.

3. In devices for charging and discharging apparatus of the kind described, the combination with the trays holding the articles to be treated, of hooks attached to the trays and adapted to automatically engage with and disengage from rings rotatably susepended from cross rods rotatably mounted in and connecting the chains carrying the trays on the rodsythrough the apparatus, and conveyers arranged therein at points, where the hooks of the trays, whent on the said conveyers, are bound to engage with the said rings while traveling upward, and to disengage from the said rings while traveling downward.

4. In devices for charging and discharging apparatus of the kind described, the combination with the trays holding the artcles to be treated, of hooks attached to the trays, of cross rods rotatably mounted in and connecting two parallel endless chains moving the trays through the apparatus, of rings suspended from said cross rods, of sprocket wheels propelling the chains, of means for supporting the trays at a point where the chains and their cross rods move upward leading the rings suspended therefrom to engage with the hooks of the trays on the support, of a sprocket wheel leading the cross rods in the said upward direction,

of a conveyer removing the trays with the treated articles from the apparatus and so arranged therein that the hooks of the trays settling thereon disengage from the rings suspended from the cross rods passing by in a downward direction, and of a sprocket wheel leading the chains and cross rods in the said downward direction and away out of the reach of the trays on the conveyer.

5. In devices for charging and discharging apparatus of the kind described, the combination with the trays holding the articles to be treated, of stays fixed to the trays, of double hooks having opposite downwardbent arms and movably mounted with their stems on the said stays, of stops arranged at the said stays in such a manner as to limit the play oi the. stems of the hooks to that necessary for keeping the trays in a herizontal position, may one or the other arm oi" the hook be used, of cross rods rotatably mounted in and connecting the chains carrying the trays through the apparatus, oi" rings suspended from these cross rods, and of conveyors arranged in the apparatus at points where the hooks of the trays, when on the said conveyers, are bound to slip into the said rings passing by in an upward direction, and to slip out of the said rings passing by in a downward direction.

6. In devices for charging and discharging apparatusbf the kind described, the combination with the trays holding the articles to be treated, of hooks attached to the said trays, of cross rods rotatably mounted in and connecting the chains carrying` thc trays through the apparatus, ot' loose wheels rotatably mounted on the said cross rods, of rails supporting these wheels, and so arranged in the apparatus as to secure to the chains the right direction of travel and stability, of rings 'suspended `from the said cross rods, and of conveyers arranged in the apparatus at points where the hooks of, the trays, when on the said conveyers, are bound to engage with the said rings passing by in an upward direction, and to slip out of the said rings passing by in a downward direction.

7. In devices for charging and discharging apparatus of the kind described, the combination with the trays holding the articles to be treated, of hooks attached to the ends of these trays, of cross rods rotatably mounted at'their ends in and connecting the chains carrying the trays through the apparatus, of rings suspended from these cross rods and adapted and arranged easily to engage with and disengage from the hooks of the said trays, and of two conveyers, one carrying the articles to be treated into, and the other carrying the treated articles out of the apparatus, and consisting of two parts, one part being an endless-band-conveyer, and the other being composed of loose rollers placed in alinement at points of the apparatus, where the rings on the cross rods of the chains pass by, when the trays are to be charged into the apparatus, in an upward direction, thus slipping onto the hooks and lifting the trays from the said roller conveyer, and, when the trays are to be discharged from the apparatus, in a downward direction, thereby settling the trays on the roller conveyer, while slipping away from the hooks they were attached to.

8. In devices for charging and discharging apparatus of the kind described, the combination with the trays holding the articles to be treated, of hooks attached to the ends cit these trays, of cross rods rotatably mounted at their ends in and connecting the chains carrying the trays through the apparatus, of rings suspended from these cross rods and arranged easily to engage with and disengage from the hooks of the said trays, of a. sprocket wheel leading the chains and their cross rods in an upivard direction, of loose rollers placed in 'alinement in a place slightly inclined toward the sprocket wheel and underneath same, of a stop plate arranged at the end of this roller conveyer at a point where the hooks of the trays. leaning against same are bound to slip into the rings traveling upward, of a sprocket wheel leading the chains and their cross rods downward at one side and upward on its other side, and of a roller conveyer arranged underneath the said sprocket wheel. at a point, where the hooks of the trays are bound to disconnect from the rings on the cross rods traveling downward, the rollers being simultaneously rotated by suitable means with such a speed that the trays after settling on the conve er cannot Vinterfere with the cross rods and t eir empty rings traveling around the lower part of the sprocket wheel and then upward.

9. In devices for transferring articles treated in one apparatus to another apparatus of the same'kind described, to be treated therein, the combination with trays holding the articles, of two systems-.one for each apparatus-of parallel endless chains propelled by sprocket wheels at the required speed and carrying the trays, of cross rods rotatably mounted in and connecting the chains, of rings suspended therefrom, of hooks attached to the trays and adapted to easily engage with or disengage from the rings on the cross rods, of a sprocket wheel leading the cross rods and rings carrying the trays with the treated articles downward before the outlet of the first apparatus, of a sprocket wheel arranged in the second apparatus before its chargin opening and leading the cross rods Wit their rings upward, and of a conveyer traveling 1n the direction from the first to the second disconnect from their rlngs moving away in a downward direction and unable to nterfere with said trays, and at the other end underneath the charging sprocket wheelxof t """s'eond' apparatus at such ay point that the hooks of the trays on the said-,conveyr 1'0 engage with the rings on' the 'cross rods traveling upward, the trays thus being lifted upward into the apparatus for being 'I C 'olpltfe'sthis patent may vbe obtained for ive Vczents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.-" 

